Wills he pop the question?

[sandy]

I know a couple who lived together for years and even had a child. SHE was surprised when he proposed to her and they got married. Of course they have an understanding but is conceivable that the actual proposal IS a surprise.

And WIlliam is a royal. I doubt a date has been set. Lots of red tape for setting up a Royal Wedding. And I doubt it would NOT have been leaked by now if a date HAD been set.

[Kate]

As far as asking her father's permission to marry his daughter ( his daughter's hand in marriage), I know my future husband, at the time, asked my Father's permission, allowing him(my future husband)  to ask me to marry him!
So I'm just going along with a tradition associated with marriage..

[sandy]

Prince Charles did call Earl Spencer asking permission according to various sources.

[Lady63]

My husband asked my Dad.  Even though they had never met (we were posted 3000km from where my parents lived at the time) but I thought it was important that he did and my husband didn't mind one iota.  Dad on the hand said if he (my husband) was willing to take me on then he was most welcome to me.    Nearly twenty years later, my husband has only had a handful of occasions to rue the day.  Not too bad if you ask me. 

Regards,
Lady63

[Ursula]

I recall Earl Spencer talking about being asked by Charles.  He added that he wondered how the prince would have reacted if he had said NO.    

[Trudie]

In hindsight Earl Spencer should have said NO

[wannabe]

Yes, specially knowing that the proposition came from a man who had dated first the elder sister.

[sandy]

I think the dating the elder sister was the least of the problem. Sarah probably never really cared that much either way whether she'd marry Charles, I don't t hink she was madly in love with him. ANd was not a threat to Diana's marriage. Camilla was.

[daibando]

In hindsight Earl Spencer should have said NO

She was of age and her father saying 'no' was by no means enforceable:

[sandy]

The Earl Spencer was so delighted he went out into the streets and met the public. He was bursting with happiness over it. I saw old clips of this in a documentary about Diana.

[drezzle]

Naturally, the obvious delight of her beloved father would have had to put ungodly pressure onto Diana to enter into that marriage.  Diana was forced into that marriage every bit as much as Charles and if Charles had not been royal, her family would never have put such pressure on her to marry him. 

Given those circumstances, what else could Diana tell anybody, even tell herself, other than that she was totally besotted by Prince Charles? 

[sandy]

I think Charles really put pressure on himself. I think he wanted heirs and at 32 back then he was "old" to marry. Diana I think really cared about Charles and wanted to marry him and thought he loved her. We're talking about a naive sheltered 19 year old who believed in romance and felt Charles loved her.

[drezzle]

Diana said she felt like a "lamb to slaughter" and that feeling of being sacrificed undoubtedly came from her own family as well as from the royal family.  That whole scenario would have made me furious if I was Diana.

[sandy]

She was totally besotted with Charles pre engagement and fell in love. She didn't hesitate to say yes to him. Even after the proposal she was on cloud nine--until Camilla started intruding and Diana realized more was going on. She did think that once Charles said his vows in the Church, it woudl be over with Camilla which perhaps gave her some optimism at that time. But her parents took a curiously hands off attitude--her mother later admitted she saw trouble but refused to intervene. Her grandmother particularly has a lot to answer for since she promoted the match knowing about Camilla.

[drezzle]

She was totally besotted with Charles pre engagement and fell in love. She didn't hesitate to say yes to him.......................... .............

Sure thing...........she giggled and said "Yes Sir". 

They had met all of something like a dozen times before the engagement.

[wannabe]

Perhaps her parents had it planned?!

[sandy]

Her parents did not have it "planned". Frances SK was a bit leery of the whole thing but said nothing. Diana stated that Charles called her from a ski trip saying when I return I have something important to ask you. Diana met him for dinner and he proposed to her. It may have been a formality with Charles and Earl Spencer but I doubt her parents planned all of this.

[wannabe]

She was born and lived in a rented large manor (Park House, Sandringham).  IMO the aristocratic parents at that time planned their baby girls to try to capture the Prince's heart. Didn't work with the eldest, here comes the youngest.  They apparently didn't see anything wrong in sharing/failure, as long as they make it to the top.  What better place then rent as close as possible.

Diana said she felt like a "lamb to slaughter" and that feeling of being sacrificed undoubtedly came from her own family as well as from the royal family.  That whole scenario would have made me furious if I was Diana.

 

Wills he pop the question? Hopefully to the right person he wants to be with, and that she may be in turn good for him and the monarchy, be it Kate  or any other girl.

[drezzle]

I think Diana's maternal grandfather, Lord Fermoy received one of those eternal leases on Park House because he was a close friend to George VI and this happened long before Charles was born -- so there was no direct planning to hook Charles in the lease of Park House.  However, I doubt there was any question in Diana's mind that her father would be totally delighted with such an alliance.

[wannabe]

Oh okay, its a hotel now a days.

[sandy]

She was born and lived in a rented large manor (Park House, Sandringham).  IMO the aristocratic parents at that time planned their baby girls to try to capture the Prince's heart. Didn't work with the eldest, here comes the youngest.  They apparently didn't see anything wrong in sharing/failure, as long as they make it to the top.  What better place then rent as close as possible.

Diana said she felt like a "lamb to slaughter" and that feeling of being sacrificed undoubtedly came from her own family as well as from the royal family.  That whole scenario would have made me furious if I was Diana.

 

Wills he pop the question? Hopefully to the right person he wants to be with, and that she may be in turn good for him and the monarchy, be it Kate  or any other girl.

There was a middle daughter, Jane who had absolutely no interest in Charles--she married a courtier Fellowes who in a sense did give the Spencers even more of an "in" with the Royal Family, since Fellowes worked with the QUeen.